The sunflower
bursts with fertile, coppery
lust —
his facetothesun
reflects a thousand
seeds of what will be his offspring —
and likewise
Radhi, tall as corn
stretches toward the sun, face
open
for the blessing of lush harvest.
He plants the seeds,
follows the patterns
of light through the swaying stalks
till wetness drips
from the heaving sky, and
watches his children
dance dizzily
drenched in sun and rain.
They practice
carving, shaping, digging, sowing,
and the flame of birthed fruits.
Like their father, they learn
to bloom.
[Originally published in Jittering Microscope #1, 1990]
Radhi is a character archetype from my pantheon of characters. He is inspired by Papa Legba (the gate-keeper voodoo loa), and Osiris. In my upcoming novels he is channeled into the characters Roddy in Pieces of Home and Perry in Haunted House Designers. These two represent my “well-meaning but foolish father” character type.
Coiled to Spring 